Tips choosing the Best Spearfishing Gloves

TIPS CHOOSING THE BEST SPEARFISHING SLOVES

A really important part of our equipment is the gloves. They offer thermic protection and protection too from cuts with rocks, fish… By our hands we lose a lot of heat under the water and after some time inside the water our skin turns soft. But the glove must offer use a good feeling with the trigger. Do not be too thick, or hard.

Note that if we are not using a good glove we could be cold in the water. And they could do a waste having the best wetsuit as if we start feeling cold in our hands will be impossible stay in the water. The same happens with the socks.

So the best options are gloves which offer us good feeling, good protection and ones which do not brake too easy.

We must choose our gloves depending on the waters and spearfishing techniques. It is not the same if we are grabbing rocks, holding at the bottom, taking crabs… or if we do spearfishing in open waters. In the first situation our glove must be reinforced and the second is more important comfort. The same happens if we are in cold or warm waters. In cold waters we will need more thermic protection (3mm good quality or 5mm) and in warm waters an “amara” gloves or a 2-3mm will be enough.

THERMIC PROTECTION

Depends on the material they are done and their thickness the gloves offer thermic protection. How much we need depend on the waters we are going to dive. In cold waters we need thicker ones. In warm waters something thinner. In hot waters we can use “amara” gloves (like leather) which only protect us from cuts.

So, in cold waters a 5mm gloves will be enough. Only in extreme conditions (like Norwey in winter with water less than 6 degrees) we would need 7mm. But if we are using a very good quality gloves, designed for winter and cold waters, 3mm could be enough, but must be in perfect conditions.

DURABILITY

This is a very important question. Gloves suffer a lot and can brake easy. When we are holding at the bottom, in the shore with big waves, the fish, scratching to make noises… There are many different things that can brake our glove. And our fingers, our nails, use to damage the glove in the upper part too.

That is why reinforced gloves are so good. Models like the Spetton Winter, the Spetton Med Green or Epsealon Fusion can hold much more time before braking. They have a special lined (supratex and similar, like the reinforcements in knees in the wetsuits) But this reinforce can make us lose a bit or feeling. You can see the reviews in the link, clicking in the model.

So we can find soft models, like Lycra ones, with none or just a small reinforce (usually only in the palm) These gloves are very comfortable and warm, but brake easy. Or reinforced which offer less feeling but more durability.

SIZE

It is very important have your right size. If you are using ones bigger than you need they will be loose and allow the water go in and out. These gloves will be much colder. And be careful with the opposite because if they are too tight your blood circulation won´t be good so you will be cold too (and will brake easier) The size is not only the length, it is very important that it is wide enough (and not too much) this is even more important.

The gloves must not have holes or broken parts. That will allow the water leak and will be colder, much colder. Have a look on the stitches if some are broken reinforce it or repair it with glue.

And one more detail, the gloves must go OUTSIDE the wetsuit. Not inside it. That is because if the glove leaks some water that would go directly inside your wetsuit. If you have it ouside, the glove will help to allow any leak into your wetsuit by your wrists. And the water that goes inside the glove, when you warm it, won´t leak more (that is why it is so important use the right size)

Our recommendations are:

Winter or cold waters: 5mm lycra gloves or specific models like the Spetton winter or Med Green in 3mm

Summer or warm waters: 3mm gloves, simple ones or reinforced. Even 2.5mm will be OK.

Extreme cold: 7mm. There are specific gloves for that.

We recommend these models because of their price and quality, being one of the best options in the market. Of course there are many more but we have tried these for a long time and are our favourites.

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